Toaster guard wire



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TOASTER GUARD WIRE Filed Nov. 18, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 2 IZI Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATESN PATENT OFFICE' l roAsrEn GUARD wma Victor Serota, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to McGraw Electric Company,

poration of Delaware Chicago, Ill., a. cor- Appueetien November 1s, 1937, serial Ne. 175,265

e thereto, the guard wires having such shape that vthey will engage with only the top and bottom edges of a slice of bread.

, Other objects of my invention willmcre fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims. t

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a viewin vertical longitudinal section through a toaster including'my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical lateral section therethrough taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical lateral section similar to Fig. 2 but showing parts thereof in a diHerent position,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section therethrough, taken on the line. 4-4 of Fig. 1', I i

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical lateral section 'through a modified form of toaster including my invention,

Fig. 6 is afragmentary view in vertical lateral section similar to Fig. 5 but showing parts in a, different position, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a further modcation of -a guard wire and its support.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive I have there illustrated an automatic oven type vertical toaster II which /toaster includes a skeleton base frame I3 -which may be made of molded composition material and which has directly mounted thereon a base plate I5 which may be secured to the frame I 3 by a plurality of screws I1. I provide also a crumb fray liilwhich may be held against the frame I3 as by cooperating studs 2| and nuts 23 thereon.

The toaster includes also one or more planar electric heating elements, each comprisingr substantially vertically extendingv sheets of electric-insulating material such as mica, on which is wound a suitable resistor wire or strip 21, a

pair of such heating elements being spaced apart a suitable distance to receive therebetween a suce ef bread 29 te be toasted. I wish to' point out that, as shown particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, each of these heating elements is of the extended-area and substantially uniformly distributed type. The base plate I5 may beso 5 shaped as to provide pairs of upwardly extend-` ing lugs 3| to receive therebetween the lower edges of the respective heating elements. An

` opening 33 is provided in the base plate extend- I ing substantially longitudinally of the toaster 10 for each slice of bread and while a two-.slice toaster I do not desire I 'have shown to be limited thereto since the device more particularly con' stituting my invention is applicable to toasters adapted to toast any number of slices oi' bread. l5"

Batlle plates or side walls 35 extend longitudinally of thetoasterspaced from and outside oi.' the outermost heating elements. I provide iurther aerear intermediate plate 31 and a front lntermediate plate 39, the front and the rear intermediate plates cooperating with the y outermost 'heating elements to constitute a toasting chamber, the base plate I5 constituting a partial bottom closure for the toasting chamber. Top frame plates 4I cooperate with the front and the rear intermediate wall plates 39 and 31 to hold them in proper spaced positions relatively to each other. It is to be noticed that these top frame plates are provided with apertures through which the slices of bread 29 may be inserted into and removed from the toasting chamber. An outer casing I3 rests upon the base' plate I5 and ccoperates with cover I5 to suitably enclose the structure thus far described. Fig. 2 will show that the cover is provided with openings I'.' 35 therein registering with the openings in the top frame plates to permit of insertion and removal of slices of bread. I

'The top frame plates 4|, and particularly the longitudinally extending side portions thereof arey provided with laterally extending depressions or recesses 49 ending at their inner ends in openings 5| for the reception of guard wires 53 the upper ends of which-have laterally extending portions 55 as well as return bent portions 51. Theguard wires are individually supported by the top frame plate 4I and longitudinal movement of the top end 'portion of any guard w'ire is prevented by the interiit of portion 55 in` 50 F.-

.ticularly by reference toFig. 2 of the,v drawings.`

The electric and automatic .toaster showny in 55 Figs. 1 to 4 particularly is of the kind in which an operator depresses a bread slice support 59 which is vertically movable in the toasting chamber, being in non-toasting position when in its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and in toasting position when adjacent the bottom of the toasting chamber, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A toaster of this kind is also provided with a control switchy for the electric heating unit/s. This switch includes a substantially fixed contact member 6| insulatedly sup'- ported on the front plate 39 and a pivotally mounted switch arm 63 also insulatedly supported on the front plate 39 as by a bracket 65.

The bread slice supports 59 are secured together as by a horizontally extending rod 61 (see Fig. 4) and are connected to two sliders 69 and 1| which sliders have vertical movement on a pair of outer standards 13 suitably supported between the outer casing and the front intermediate wall 39. A carriage 15 is arranged to have vertical movement on a pair of inner standards, rollers 19 being provided on the carriage to hold the carriage in proper operative position relatively to the standards 11 and to reduce the friction of the vertical movement' therebetween. An actuating knob 8| is carried by carriage 15 at the front of the casing 43 whereby an operator may move the bread slice supports from non-toasting to toasting position. Slider 89 is provided with a slotted plate 83 thereon cooperating with the pivotally l mounted switch arm 63 `so that when knob 8| is depressed switch arm 83 will be moved into engagement with fixed contact 8 I.

A coil-spring 85 positioned between the base plate |5 and crumb trayIS-h'as one end thereof vconnected to the base plate |5 while its other end isconnectedto the outer end-cfa short arm 81 of a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted on the rear 'intermediate plate 31 and including a longer arm 89 the front of which is slotted as at 9| to receive the connecting rod 61. The spring 85 therefore biases the; bread slice supports to non-toasting position and also biasesithe switch arm to open position.-

An automatic means for terminating the toasting operation includes a mechanical timerI 93 which mechanical timer includes a` spring which is wound up when knob 8| is moved in a downward- 1y direction.' 'Ihe timer 93 is provided with a latch 95which latch is adapted toengagewith a suitable lug 91 von slider 1| so that an operator moving the knob 8|' downwardly will cause lug 91 to engage under the lower end of pivotally mounted latch arm 95 to retain the bread slice supports in toasting position and the 'switch in energizing position until the timer has moved a cam member 99 associated with carriage 15 into substantially its initial or upper position when it becomes effective by engagement with-the upper end of latch 95 to cause a turning movement thereof and its disengagement with lug 91, permittinng the coil spring to move the bread slice support -to upper or non-toasting position and the switch to open position whereby the toasting'operation is terminated.

These details constitute no part of my present invention and reference may be had to Ireland Patent No. 2,001,362 for a clear description of these details.

I have found that the use of guard Wires which extend substantially straight and relatively close to thesurfaceof a slice of bread being toasted results in shadows or untoasted areas and guard wires embodying my invention which overcome this drawback will now be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings I have there illustrated one form of guard wire embodying my invention, each guard wire having an intermediate portion bowed outwardly or away from a slice of bread positioned between the respective pairs of guard wires which are provided to properly position aslice of bread substantially centrally of or midway between the spaced heating units which are adapted to be operated at relatively high temperatures to prov ide radiant heat for toasting a slice of bread located therebetween. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings I provide what amounts to a bentin portion on each guard wire, each bent-in portion comprising an angularly extending portion and then a straight end portion. It will be noted that these guard wires have interfitting slidable engagement with lateral lugs |03 on the bread slice supports 59.

The initial position of thefguard wires is as in Fig. 2 of the drawings which shows the bread slice supports 59 in their upper position while Fig. 3 shows the positions of the guard Wires when the bread slice supports 59 are in their lower or toasting position. It will be noted that the guard wires 53 are so shaped that, with the bread slice support in its lowermost'or toasting position,y a slice of bread 29 is engaged by the guard wires at only its upper and lower edges while the intermediate portion of the guard wire between the upper and lower edges of a slice of bread is spaced some distance away from the surface of the bread so that, particularly with a substantially uniformly distributed resistor as the source of heat, the radiant heat impinges on substantially the entire surface of the slice of bread and thereby avoids the occurrence of guard wire shadows or of untoasted areas caused by the guard wires.

Referring now to Figs. and 6 of the drawings I have there illustrated a somewhat different form of oven typ'e electric toaster which is not automatic in the same manner as was hereinbefore described for the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4. A toaster includes an outer casing H3, a base plate H5, an inner bottom plate ||1 and a plurality of pairs of planar heating elements H9.

Each heating element includes substantially vertically extending plates of electric-insulating |2|, such as mica, and a resistor wire or strip |23 positioned thereon each heating resistor being substantially uniformly distributed on its supporting plate in substantially the same manner as was hereinbefore described in connection with theheating elements in Figs. .1 to 4 inclusive. Reference may here be made to Ireland application Serial No. 151,221 filed June 30, 1937, and assigned to the same assignee as is the present application for further description of all of the details of such a toaster.` A toaster of this kind includes bread slice supports vertically movable in the toaster and adapted to individually support slices of bread |21. Guard wires |29 embodying my invention are supported from top frame plates 4| adjacent the top part of casing ||3 depending therefrom and extending through bottom plate ||1. Each of the guard wires |29 is provided with an intermediate bowed-out portion as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings so that when a bread slice support |25 has been moved to its lowermost or toasting position, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, a slice of bread |21 is held by the guard wire in proper operative position between each pair of heating elements aliases intermediate portion and may be used in either form of toaster shown in the drawings.

I have found that the use of guard wires in this shape effectively prevent the occurrence of untoasted linearly extending areas on a slice of bread thereby improving the appearance of a piece of toast when served.

I desire that all further modifications are to be considered as being covered by the appended claims -which are to be limited only bythe prior art. 'l

I claim as my invention:

l. In a toaster, the combination with a pair of spaced substantially uniformly distributed heating elements, and a bread slice support between said pair of heating elements,-of a plurality of guard wires between heating 'element and a slice of bread resting on said support, said guard wires each having an intermediate portion spaced farther from a slice of bread than the end portions thereof to position a slice of bread being toasted by engagement with the guard wires at its top and its bottom edges only.

2. In a toaster, the combination with a toasting chamber structure comprising a top and a. bottom wall, a pair of spaced planar substantially uniformly distributed heating elements and a bread slice support movable between said heating ele-V ments, of a plurality of guard wires between said bread slice support and each of said heating ele ments, said guard wires being held in substantially ilxed 'positions by the top and the bottom wall and each guard wire having a bent-out intermediate portion positioned nearer to the heating' elements than the end portions, a slice of bread resting on said support during a. toasting operation being engaged by the end portions only of the guard wires to be positioned thereby between the heating elements.

3. In a toaster. the combination with a'pair of spaced planar substantially uniformly distributed heating elements extending in a substantially vertical direction and a bread slice support vertically movable between said spaced heating elements, of a plurality of guard wires supported at their upper ends adjacent to the top edges of the heating elements and slidably interiittingwith said lread slice support, each of said guard wires havingL an intermediate portion thereof positioned at a greater distance from a slice of bread resting on the support than the end portions oi the' guard wires, when the bread slice support is in its lowermost position.

4. In a toaster, the combination with a pair of spaced planar substantially uniformly distributed heating elements extending in a substantially vertical direction and a bread slice support vertically movable between said spaced heating elements, oi a plurality of guard wires supported at their upper endsv adjacent to the top edges of the heating elements and slidably interfitting with said bread slice support, each of saidguard wires having an intermediate portion thereof shaped to be positioned away from a slice -oi bread on the support and movable by the bread slice support, when the same is moved downwardly, into positioning engagement with the top and bottom edges only of a, slice of bread on the support.

5. In a toaster, the combination with a pair of spaced planar substantially uniformly distributed heating elements extending in a substantially vertical direction and a bread slice support vertically movable between said spaced heating elements into a lower toasting position and an upper non-toasting position, of a plurality of guard wires supported at their upper ends adjacent to the top edges of the heating elements and extending through the bread slice support, each of said guard wires being so designed and constructed that it will be in positioning engagement with a slice of bread at only the top and the bottom edge thereof when the support and a slice of bread thereon are in the lower position.

VICTOR SERDT. 

